“Lidl-Trek is by far the most impressive one” – Bruyneel in awe of Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek’s winning start to the Giro d’Italia

After just three stages of the 2025 Giro d’Italia, a clear theme has emerged: Lidl-Trek are the dominant force of the race's opening week. That was cemented on Stage 3, where Mads Pedersen sprinted to his second victory in three days, reclaiming the maglia rosa in the process. On a day where most teams looked to conserve energy, Lidl-Trek went on the offensive, executing their strategy with precision and power.

The 160km stage took place in mountainous Albania, showcasing breath-taking scenery, but the racing itself was no less dramatic. Although the profile hinted at a sprint finish, a tough climb with 40km to go thinned the peloton and eliminated several pure sprinters from contention.

“The real sprinters got dropped, mainly Kaden Groves, Sam Bennett, Olaf Kooij and others, and I think that was obviously the intention of Lidl-Trek,” explained Johan Bruyneel on The Move podcast. “They controlled the final of the race incredibly. Stage one was impressive, today in my opinion was even more impressive.”

At the heart of Pedersen’s win was a superb leadout by Matias Vacek. “He got in the front with about 800m to go, 800m is a long way to the finish for one rider, and he did it perfectly,” Bruyneel said.

“He set a very fast tempo, there was nobody coming to fight for position. They were all fighting for the wheel of Mads Pedersen. At the last part of his lead out, with about 150m before he dropped off Mads, he had the ability to accelerate still, which was the key to win. Once Pedersen goes, that's already a bike length, and to make up that bike length with 250m to go is very difficult, as we all know.”

Pedersen’s own form has been sensational. “It’s a win-win for everybody. Mads Pedersen’s happy because he won, he’s got the leader jersey. Primoz Roglic is happy, he does not have the leader jersey anymore. It seems like everybody is happy after this stage,” said Spencer Martin.

Indeed, Roglic’s Red Bull – Bora - hansgrohe team had no interest in keeping the pink jersey so early in the race. Despite that, they worked with Lidl-Trek to control the breakaway, an arrangement Bruyneel believes was pre-agreed. “This was agreed beforehand… Pedersen, wanted the jersey back and Primoz wanted to get rid of the jersey. It’s a win-win. To control the breakaway of six riders they only used one rider each.”

Why would Roglic not want the jersey so early? Well, because wearing the leader’s jersey comes with added media pressures and duties, which can cut into recovery time for the riders. After all, Roglic, more than anyone, knows that there is no point wearing a leader’s jersey for the majority of the race, if you don’t end stage 21 wearing it.

An important rider once again for Lidl-Trek, was Jacopo Mosca, fresh off a celebratory head-shave after the stage 1 win. “Apparently there was a bet that if the team or Pedersen won stage one, they could shave his head, and what they did was shave it just in the middle. Pedersen did it, while his wife, Elisa Longo Borghini, watched on video.”

Pedersen’s success isn’t just a reflection of personal form. According to Bruyneel, Lidl-Trek’s coordination has been faultless: “They are riding incredibly strong. For sure they have focused on the beginning of the Giro. These two stages in Albania were very beneficial for Pedersen. It’s not real sprint stages, his preferred terrain, but man, the way they controlled it… especially today, was impressive.”

Dan Hoole’s effort on the final climb (riding at 475 watts) underscored the team’s dominance. “People say, why does nobody attack? But think about it: when Dan Hoole is doing 6 watts per kilo, and he's the fifth-strongest rider on the team, how do you attack that? You try, you’re not going anywhere. You’re not attacking from Alcatraz—you’re surrounded.”

That climb, 10.5km at 7.5%, was far from easy. “Nobody was at ease on that climb,” Bruyneel said. “Wout [van Aert] got dropped… it's clear that he hasn't started this Giro at his best.” Van Aert later admitted he wasn’t feeling great, but the upcoming rest day and flatter stages could allow him to recover.

Still, criticism flew online regarding the lack of attacks on the climb. Bruyneel didn’t hold back: “I call these people keyboard PlayStation gamer couch potato directors. They give their expert opinion… but this is a three-week stage race. Anybody who has ridden a bike several days in a row knows that the fatigue accumulates.”

Martin concurred, “These stages are mirages. You look at that climb and think it’s selective, but it’s too far from the finish. If anyone gets dropped, their entire team will drop back to pace them. Anyone who is anybody in GC is going to get back on.”

UAE Team Emirates also impressed. “They looked a lot more organised than stage one. They had four riders around their ‘ropey’ leader Juan Ayuso,” Martin said with a touch of irony. “That was probably just precaution, being in front on the downhill to avoid crashes.”

As for Stage 4, both commentators expect a proper bunch sprint on the mainland. “It’s going to be a sprint stage,” said Bruyneel. “The real big sprinters need to seize their opportunities now. I’m going to follow the books, Olaf Kooij.” Martin disagreed: “I’m going with Mads Pedersen. Keep the vibes alive.”

Bruyneel, meanwhile, noted Pedersen’s fitness is at an all-time high. “I’m thinking back to Paris-Nice, what he did there was just incredible, in terms of physical fitness, the way he went uphill.”

Behind the front-page headlines, the relegation battle is heating up. Astana, once 5,000 points adrift of safety, are now within four points of WorldTour survival. “Today they got 45 UCI points from Scaroni in ninth. PicNic PostNL got just 10,” said Martin. Bruyneel added: “They’re doing it. I thought at the start of the season they couldn’t keep this up. But they are.”

With another sprint stage coming Tuesday and plenty of tactical storylines to unfold, the 2025 Giro is already delivering. As Bruyneel summarised, “Lidl-Trek Trek is the team of the beginning of this Giro, by far the most impressive one.”